Meet the press
- Updated: July 9, 2019
All teams on board for Calhoun County QB Club’s first County Football Media Day later this month
By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today
An event long overdue in the community and certainly welcomed by time-strapped sports reporters is about to come to fruition with the Calhoun County Quarterback Club hosting its first Calhoun County Football Media Day July 26 at Anniston Country Club.
QB Club executive board member and past club captain Doug O’Dell said all 12 football-playing schools in the county have committed to participate. Each head coach is expected to be accompanied by two players.
“We’re extremely excited about the event,” 2019 QB Club captain Matt Whitaker said, “and hoping it helps promote high school football in Calhoun County.”
O’Dell remembers his days as a football player and a coach when local media would visit team practices during training camp to conduct preseason interviews. The Media Day will provide access to every team in one convenient location.
“This is something we’ve talked about for a while,” said O’Dell, the assistant principal at Alexandria High School. “It’s been a long time coming. It’s bothered me (not having one). We just need to have it.
“Sports in general, but especially high school football in this area, has gotten really good and it’s really big; there are a lot of people who follow it. These kids deserve it.”
O’Dell said the date was chosen because it’s the last Friday before school starts and the 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m. window will allow teams to participate without interrupting their practice schedules. The date coincides with the Talladega County Media Day, although that may move as organizers search for a new location as its traditional venue, the Talladega Superspeedway infield, undergoes extensive renovations.
(UPDATE: Talladega County officials said Wednesday their football media day has been moved to July 25 at a venue to be determined.)
“This first one, we’re just trying to see how it goes,” O’Dell said. “I’ll be honest, I would very much like at some point for this to expand into the other counties because we all play each other.”
O’Dell said the format could probably be done for basketball as well.
The Calhoun County Quarterback Club has operated continuously since 1946. It meets every Monday during the season at the Anniston Country Club. The membership brochure will be available soon.
The meetings are highlighted by a guest speaker and O’Dell said this year’s speaker lineup is “about as strong as we’ve had in a long time.”
Here is the speaker schedule:
Sept. 9 – UAB head coach Bill Clark
Sept. 16 – Jacksonville State senior executive head coach J.R. Sandlin
Sept. 23 – Former Clemson head coach Tommy Bowden
Sept. 30 – Former Mississippi State head coach Sylvester Croom
Oct. 7 – Auburn athletics director Allen Greene
Oct. 14 – Birmingham TV personality Rick Karle
Oct. 21 – Former Alabama quarterback Gary Rutledge
Oct. 28 – Former Alabama quarterback John Parker Wilson
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